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PAULINE YUANENG LUMA LAKI LIFE STORY (TOLD TO SASHA AIKHENVALD, 10.03.1999, CANBERRA)

Wunake wun bas yawi wakun kurtuel sa:d lekel ma:j wunake laiftaim stori ketekapek al

‘This is how I went out to work, this is more or less my life story’

Wa:j akaya wayaketuaya Sasa, aka wukekeñina nukedi du ta:kwab aka wukekedanaya

‘I will tell this story for you, Sasa, to hear, and for other men and women to hear’.

Aka ya nebla nabi vau 10 March 1999 yakia

‘Let me see what is today’s day, 10 March 1999, OK’

Wunake sukulim ruku yawik wakutuel sa:d aka waketua ya

‘I will tell (you) how I went to work after I finished school’

Skul kusuku skul Brendi haiskul, anay aka Wewakam rena, Wewak Papua Niu Guini atawanab wau

‘Having finished school, Brendi highschool, it is in Wewak, in Papua New Guinea, let

me say it like this.’

Alem skul kusuku 1973 skul kuselwun, keta ma nemade tal ad sukul, kusuku yawik ata wakulwun

‘Having finished school in 1973, now it is a big school, I went out to work’.

Yawik ma wa:kw college yilwun, Administrative college Mosbim rena, Administrative college wakwadana, keta aka Public Institute of Administration wadana, alem yiku Public School High Certificate alem kurlwun nabi nak alem sukurelwun

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‘I did not go out to work, I went to College, there is Administrative College in Moresby,

they call it Administrative college, now it is Public Institute of Administration. There I

got Public School High Certificate, I spent one year there’.

Geñer yiku Divine Word Institute alem diploma in journalism alem kurlwun

‘Later I got a diploma in journalism at the Divine Word Institute’.

Suku reku keka naka social worker teker wakulwun ke Sasa kekanaka wuken rena alek wajinaun kedi ma:j wayatualek kekanaka wuken rena Sasa

‘Having got the certificate, I was to become a social worker. I am laughing because

Sasa is sitting here listening to these stories.’

Alek waku ade nabi kusuku basa yawi ata 1975 Papua New Guinea Independence tedel (kurdel) a bas yawik kurtuel akanaka ‘When that year finished, I went out to my first job, in 1975, Papua New Guinea

Independence, I went out to my first job’.

Basa yawi aka atawa salidak Gorokam telwun Gorokar wartuel o! nekerek miya kiyareb wun ma la:kw neker taytay telel nekere kurku tabek kurlwun

'First after they sent me, I was in Goroka, I went up to Goroka, o! I almost died of cold,

I didn't know what cold was like, having caucht a cold, I ran away'

Salidak weyakedak ma wartuel waren Mendim telwun adi pagiya yalibu adi tepam atawa tetay welfare yawi kurelwun yawik yitay adi nebek badau

'After they sent me, told me to go, I went up again, I was in Mendi, there I did welfare

work, going to work, mountains, valleys'

Adi adult education course wadanadi community education adiya atapeke course school yik adi tepa du ta:kwak tepa du ta:kw tamiya kedi adi health and hygiene adiya akatawa kain skul lani

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yikalwun wapwi samasapi tepatepa vyakata sukulek yi ye wa atawa sukul kwiyikwatudi adiya akatawa kain skul kwi yikwalwun

'Adult education courses, community edcation, teaching people from that area, health

and hygiene, this type of school, sewing clothes, from village to village, this sort of

schooling I was giving’.

Bas treni trenituel aka

‘I was doing training this way’.

Neke Samaray kel ta:kw wunake Senior Officer wuna yawi ta:y yel ta:kw lekewa ata yi:kwabran ata yawi kuryikwabran

'Another woman from Samaray was my Senior Officer, she was my boss, we used to go

together with her, we worked.'

Gaman patrol deyadi tim ad policeman nak tanim tok nak tanim tok tukwade du nak wa adi tepa du adi ñanadi patrol boks kago atawa yatayi:kwadi yatadakeb ata watay tayir 26 mails wadadi keta be kilometer wan nesedana seker a

'The government patrol team, one policeman and one interpreter, and people from the

village carrying the cargo, as they said before, 26 miles, now they count it in kilometers'

Ata watay 26, 20 atawa mails wadadi seker bas gaman stesheneb tetay adi kwasadi trakta atawa kuren kraydakeb tri o for mail samting traktasap yi:tay yakia wursedadakeb yakia 'So they used to go 26, 20 miles, from the government station, these small tractors, three

or four miles by tractor, they they would unload things. OK.'

Adi nemadi semi ya:b ata mæner yi nebek badau nebek badau yi:::n 26, 27 adi mæner (wakabuten) mæner yitay ata gan yakia

'We would go on foot 26, 27 miles, mountain, valley, go and go, then it would be night.'

Gan alem sekwatay ata watay wik nak ana

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'Having slept a night, we would spend a week or so there'.

Adi tepa du ta:kwak ata ke watua adult education sukul ata kwi:yikwabran wunawa samare takwawa yawi kurtay tuku yakia samare ta:kw le keka naka nekede tepar Mosbi:r salidak yalek wunada kap tan yakia a yawi ata kurlwun

'I was teaching ‘adult education program’ to the village people, we were teaching, me

and the woman from Samare, then the Samare woman got snt off to another place, to

Moresby, after she’d gone, I was by myself, I was doing the job.'

Alem nabi nak tetud nabi nak tetuek alem nabi nak tuku keka salidak yi:n Vanimoam Vanimoar keka yilwun Vanimoam tetay yakia

'I stayed there for a year. Having stayed there for a year, I went to Vanimo, I went to

Vanimo, and stayed there. OK.'

Ata wartay kedi tepam Telefomin Yapsi Oksapmin, Tekin wadanadi tepam atawa tetay adi ata tepa takwak adi yawi kwalas wapwi mowi jab tepatep semapisemapi kwalas mawi jab semakan ata semakayawi kuryikwalwun

‘Having gone up there, I stayed in the villages called Telefomin, Yapsi, Oksapmin,

Tekin, I showed sewing clothes to village women, I did this job of showing’.

Adi atawa kain sadi yawi adi watuadi kain health and hygiene adi sadisad deyak atawa vyakata gutpela sinduan sep wi tami family kulapwen vyakanakun atawa re skul kwiyikwalwun famili lukwaten re tiyawi (kulakwun) atawa kain skul deyak amæyebrak laniin skul kwiyi:kwalwun

'I did these types of work, teaching the village women about the good life, I was

teaching them these things.'

Alebab aka naka duakab aka naka komuniti kedi vyakata sad vyakat re sad sukul kwiyikwalwun tamiya tami: adi tep ata watay mæner yikwalwun

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‘I was teaching men, too, I was teaching all the members of the community about good

ways of life, so I went on on foot’.

Keta ma seker yakia ya:b kwadanalek ka:r mowi trak adi atawa yidanapek ma adi seker atabek ma ma te akes tiyikwadi adi seker alek menaka

'Now it is not like this, now it is time when there are good roads, there cars, trucks and

other things, at that tiume no, they did not go (there), those times one went on foot only.'

Wunabab ata watay wakuba tetudi mænar yikwatudi sep akes jan yikwalwun wunabab bædi kwadi bædi kwatuel seker adi bædi kwatudi seker adi

'I too, I went on feet, I did not get tired, I was young then'.

Wunabab sukul kusuku bas wakwen tetuadi nabi adi 19, 20, 21 atawa tetuadi seker taim adi tetudi nabi adi yakia

‘I, too, after I finished school, these were the years when I first went out to work, these

were the years. OK’.

Alem tuku tetuek kekanaka alem tetuek ke Redio Ostrelia yawi keka ñuspepam kamapil kwal kwalek ada alem tede patrol ofisa Popondetta kedad de Telefomin kel ta:kw krad

‘So I was staying like this, and there appeared a notice on work in Radio Australia,

there was a patrol officer in Popondetta who married a woman from Telefomin’.

Telefomin kel deke ta:kw leke wuna welfare assistant tal teku keka naka ke pepa keka karyadal karyaku wad keka naka ke atawa wad, kal! ke vetua yawi kal waku wad a wun redio Wewakar wun alem adi kuryikwatudi yawi deyadi progrem mowi sukutay saliyikwalwun

‘This woman from Telefomin was my welfare assistant. So he brought the paper, and

said: here it is. I saw (it). This is work. I wrote all the papers for the job and sent them.’

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Ke wik atawa yaknaun watay mi ma:j atawa redio wewakam alay Skosio wadana tep au West Irian au Vanimo PNG meya namel yayakebi tepar atawa yaknaun watay ma:j kwitak wapuwap si: yikwalwun deyak ata watay redio Wewakam maj atawa maj wapuwapwum

‘Having said: I will go this week, I will go to Skosio or Vanimo, some place in the

middle, I will go; having said that, I sent them a notice (toksave), to Radio in Wewak’.

Nay neyikwadadi deyadi result sukutay ata saliyikwalwun redio Wewakar al wuna yawi ma wunawuna yawi ma wuna mawul yikwalwun laikituel akatawa yawi kurkurek

‘I used to send the results of the games to Radio Wewak. It was not my job but I liked

it’.

Ata watay kwitakayikwatukekeb saliyikwatukekeb yakia ata spotñius ma:j riditay wuna se ab ata seki yikwadal le kwitakaladi saliladi ma:j adi watay Redio Wewaka kedi

‘Thus after I sent (the news), they read them, and acknowledge my name, having said,

these are the news sent by her (me), the people from Radio Wewak.’

Akatawa yawi kurelwun kurtukeb ke ñe ata keber du ta:wk de du se Frenk ad deke ta:kw Sendi ya de Popondetta kedad le Telefomin kelal

‘I was working this way. That day, there were these two, the man’s name was Frank,

and his wife Sandy, he was from Popondetta, she was from Telefomin’.

Wau! ata watay redio wewakar ata adi na:y deyakedi yawi deyakedi kedi watuadi yawi toksape progrem yawi deyakedi ripot/ma:j sukutay ata saliyikwalwun kwitakayikwalwun

‘Wau! Having said that, I used to send sport news to Radio Wewak’.

Telefomin Oksapmin o Vanimoam tetuelab ata watay (katawa) yawi kuryikwalwun

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‘When I was staying in Telefomin, Oksapmin or Vanimo, I did this too’.

Ata watay kurtukeb dey nius riditay wuna se ab ata seki yikwidad sekitay ata wadi le saliladi adi watay atawa yawi kurtay ata waren Telefominem bap mugulapek tetuek keber watuaber du ta:kw Frenkawa Sendi de Patrol ofisa ad Popondetta kedad le Sendi Telefomin kel ta:kw al wunake welfare assistant tal adi kedi du Frenk a ñiuspepa ata karyaku semadal semakaku wad

‘Having read the news, they would announce my name; having worked like this, having

gone up, I stayed in Telefomin for about three months, then the two I have been talking

about, a man called Frank and his wife Sandy, he was a Patrol Officer from Popondetta

and she was my welfare assistant from Telefomin, he brought this newspaper and having

shown it (to me) said’.

O! ke yawi veñena waku vyakatayake yawi al ata wadek veku o! ata wadek Redio Ostreliam yin yawi kurkwer al ateta se sape tena atawa yawi kurkurek watay atawa maj ata walwun

‘He said, o! Have you seen this job?, this is good job, after he said this, I saw (it), I was

asking myself, how will I go and work for Radio Australia, but who knows, I was saying

thus’.

Adi maaj mawul atawa tal

‘This is what I was thinking’.

Wuna mawul atawa tal telek keka naka yawi kwalel tedadi pepa ata katituel katiku a ñiuspepam kwal yawi te ka ata katituel

‘This how I thought. Having thought like this, I cut out the paper where it said about the

job, I cut it out’.

Kep katin napaku katin napaku ata kep wun yawi kurtay sukuyikwatuel dayari bukam dey bukam ata kuselatuk ata kwayal, kwal be wukemaymaren ata telwun

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‘Having cut it out and put it into the diary book I was writing in, I completely forgot

about it’.

Ata tuku yakya Vanimoar keka ata dalwun adi Indonesia kedi ta:kw ñanawa volebol na:y næyik væradak wun West Sepik PNG sait gak ta:kw voleybol tim wun tay yilwun wun kepten telwun

‘Then I went down to Vanimo, these Indonesian women were going to play volleyball

with us, I was on the West Sepik PNG side, I was in charge of the team, I was the

captain’.

Keka naka ke dey bukam kwal a ñiuspepam kwal yawi ata semakatuel a wuna yawi ta:yel megelapwa takwak tolai al lekek a yawi semakatuek le ata wa:l

‘Then I showed this job advertisement which was in the diary to the women who was

my boss, a woman from Megelapw. she was Tolai, and she said’.

Jau traimen (kepabe) applai tan ap yakia waku atawa walek keka naka kepa pasedaka ñigadaka sukutuel

‘She said, try and apply, and I wrote a letter myself’.

Sukuku salituek ABC ofis PortMoresbir ya:l yalek veku au dey kediyanadeka ringtuku mi: majar wadi kediyadiya wadi ata wadi rait tuku ata wadi

‘Having written, I sent (it) off to the ABC office in Port Moresby, and it (letter:

feminine) went down, then they rang me up saing like this, having written (to me).’

Interview teker mæy waku wadak a ma deyake pas a kuker yal wun be tayib yalwun Wantok ñuspepam yawi kurek

‘They said, come for an interview, after they said that, their letter came after, I already

had a job in Wantok newspaper’.

Alem yawi kuryikwade Father Kevin Walcot de England kede du ad de teacher tad [gabe maja yawi kured] Papua Niu Guineam

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nabi nabi tad atawa Soger National Highschool atawa adi tamiyam yawi kured

‘There was Father Kevin Walcot, from Endland, he was a teacher in Papua New

Guinea, for many years, he was working in Soger National Highschool’.

Atawa alem tuku dan word publishing company adi ñuspepa company ad ata bas de statiyid dekewa Father Frenk Mihalic anay adeka Madeng Divine Word Institute alem dekede kapwa sabe kurku keta lecturer (gaba maj) tenad

‘Having gone down there, he became the founder of the word publishing company, the

newspaper company, together with Father Frank Mihalic, he is now a lecturer at the

Divine Word Institute in Madang, having taught himself’.

De ade Wantok ñuspepa asay adeka deka de bas statidel kirapidel ke wantok ñuspepade bas mau takadal

‘He is the real father of the Wantok Newspaper, he started the Wantok newspaper’.

Wirewim wirewi wewakam statiku keda wunak ata wad ke wantok ñuspepa ñenapeka ñaba takwañan al

‘Having started in Wirui, in Wewak, he said to me like this: ‘This Wantok Newspaper is

a Sepik girl, like you’.

Ñenapeka ñaba takwañanñen waku wunak ata wad

‘Like you, you are a Sepik girl, he said to me’.

Alek ke ñena ñames ma:m takwawa yawi kurñenkek ñuspepak ata wad a wadek ata walwun a! yakia!

‘You are going to work with the newspaper like with your sister, he said. After he said

this, I said, OK’.

Wuna yawi a Vanimoam tetualeb vyakata yake yawi al

‘My job in Vanimo was a very good job’.

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Kurtuel welfare yawi vyakat al tamiya tami yelwun vakituel vakin Skochio wadade tepar al ma kapeba sad al

‘The job when I worked with welfare was good, I used to go from one area to another, I

went across to a village called Skochio, but this is again another story’.

West Irian soldiers hansapimdadiyan albaba kapeba maj al geñer waketua

‘West Irian soldiers arrested us, this is another story, I will tell (it) later’.

Kedi Indonesia kedi soldiers hansapiku teñedi vedal aka be wuna aka be du ketek telwun

‘These Indonesian soldiers arrested (us) and stayed, (they thought I was a man), I was

already like a man’.

Wun du adewun waku yara ata vedalwun bikos wun nemadi wapwi kuselwun kusuku ma:gw kenves but kusuen army deyake (h)at kusuku aka betay du ketek telwun ‘Having said that I am a man, this is how they saw me (they thought I was a man),

because I was wearing large clothes, what’s name, canvas boots, army hat, this is why I

looked like a man’.

Yaku geñer wunam ata chekidalwun ya:n vesemeldalwun vesemelku ata wadi oh! ma! ta:kw al waku takwa wadak ata walwun

‘Then later they checked me, having checked, they said: oh!, this is a woman, then I

said:’

Wun welfare oficerwun alay skochio tepam adi du takwak welfare skul laniyik vakinaun oh! waku jau waku wapedak keka ata vakilwun alabab ma kapeba sad al

‘I am a welfare officer, I go across to teach these men and women in Skochio village.

OK, they said, go, and thusI went across, this is another story’.

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alek wa ma

‘I won’t tell it now’

Yakia ata wantok ñuspepam yawi kurek kurtuek kureknaun waku watuek Don Hook ABC ofice Mosbi alem yawi kured a seker deyakede ABC Australia representative ada dad de kedada yeku au kede pater akatawa waded

‘OK, then I promised to work for Wantok newspaper; at that time Don Hook was

working at the ABC office in Moresby, he was representative of the ABC Australia, he

having gone down said to Father’

Maski! kedi nabideka kedi ñanawa dan yawi kurkwa!

‘Let her work with us down there for only a year!’

Au geñer sebenen warku ata geñer ya:n wa mena pepam gurapepam ata yan yawi kurkwa

‘Then, after she returns having gone up, she will work in your paper’.

Atawa deya blajeyaku maj ata pasidal lakatidal ma:j ata wa:kw lekidal something like that

‘This is how they agreed’.

Ma:j ata pasidal pasidal veku keka naka pasidak veku kekanaka napaku Bryan Merrit a seker de Redio Australia Papua Niu Guinea service bos yawi tay ad Papua Niu Guinea service bos teda ada wunake ñeg sukuku ata wad de keka waded OK lekem waku wadek Don Hook wadek Bryan Merrit kedeka wunak ata rait tad raittuku keda wad yakia interview teker mæy waku wadek nukedi takwaañanugwab yedi wunabab interview teker keka yilwun

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‘This is how they arranged it. After they have arranged everything, Bryan Merrit was

the boss of Australian service in Papua New Guinea. After he has written my letter,

saying OK, he told Don Hook and told Bryan Merrit, and he wrote to me, saying: come

to an interview, other girls came too, so I went’.

Father keda wad Father Kevin o Father Mihalic kebra waber weyakeber “Mæy, jau, tay dan deyawa yawi kurku vyakata yawi ya sebenen warkeñena mo save tuku ata ke ñuspepam ata nebe ta:y ye yawi nebe kurel

‘Father Kevin or Father Mihalic said to me: ‘Go, do this work with them down there,

later you will come back with more knowledge, you will be able to get a leading job in

this newspaper’.

Waku ata wabrek wun keka OK, yakia, waku keka naka ata yakia waku keka, ya:n interview tenapaku sebenen yi:n waren aday Telefominem kwarbam nebeke tepam West Sepik aday border alem tan ata yawi kurelwun

‘After they said that, I said OK, I went to Moresby, and did the interview, returned, I

went up and worked in Telefomin, in the bush, in mountain village on the border with

West Sepik’.

Kepa interview deka tanapaku sebenen yin yin alem deyadeya kuren karyadalwun balus yapin

‘They themselves paid my fare’.

Al yatuel ABC lain deyadeya balus yapidak dalwun Mosbir a interview teker

‘ABC paid for me to go down to have the interview’.

Deyadeya ABC kedi balus yapidak a sebenen yituel ab akanaka

‘ABC paid for the plane, and for the return, so I went’.

Au sebenen yituel ABC kedi deyadeya ma balus yapidak yilwun

‘On return, too, the ABC people paid for my fare’.

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Yeku alem betay tan kurtuel vik viti mugul samting atawa walek ABC kedi pas sukudi sukuku ata wadi

‘Having come, I worked there (in Telefomin), two or three weeks later the ABC people

sent me a letter, saying like this’.

Oh yakia ñen abe repem nanañen

‘OK, you are accepted’.

A pasem ñegam ata wadi

‘They said like this in the letter’.

Ñen Madang o Sepika kedi du takwak mædekmædek takwak takwañagwak kwakebanal a alek ñen aka abe repem nanañen ke yawik wan ata wadi

‘We were looking for a woman or a girl from Madang or Sepik, this is why you are

accepted for this job, they said’.

Waku ata wadi yakia ñenadi tiket mowi wa kwasakwasa ja:p adiya atawa salekebanadi Mosbir atawa yañenkek yaku ñenadi passport mowi ja:p stretim napaku ata dakenañen daku ata ñenade yawi contract al ata nebe val waku adi ma:j veku ay! waku wuna mawul ata jaujau ata tal

‘They said, we will send you your ticket and other small things, so that you could come

to Moresby, having sorted out your passport, you will go down, then the contract will be

there. Seeing this, I got excited’.

Amamas tan ma wuken watay ata watay ata kurelwun ma ameyawa asayik wuken atawa ata kurelwun

‘I was happy, then worried, worried about my mother and father’.

Amæik wuken oh amæy watay Australiam dan yawi kurkenaun wan wuna mawul ata watay tal

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‘I was worried about my mother, that I will go down to work in Australia, this is how

my mind was’.

Kapen dan tetak yagalwun al nabi 21-22 akatawa tetuel akanaka tuku kap dan tan yawi kurkurek yagalwun yagaku watuek ma! yagatukwa waku du takw anad be tenadi Papua New Guinea kedi du ta:kw anad be tan yawi kurnadi ñenadaka ka:p ma waku Kavienga kel ta:kwab waku Cathy Sakias keta anay NBCam yawi kurna Mosbi:m ber aka takwañendi aka beraberber waku ata wadi wadak hay! o! yakia wuna mawul ata tal

‘I was afraid of going down and staying there by myself, I was 21-22, I was afraid of

going down and working by myself; after I got scared they told me, don’t be scared,

there are people from Papua New Guinea who are already working there, there is a

woman from Kavieng, Cathy Sakias, she is now working in NBC in Moresby, you are

the two (there), after that I said, OK, this is how my mind stood’.

Keka naka tepar ata yilwun a kurtul yawi ata wapetuel resain teku tepar ata yilwun

‘Then I went to my village, I left the job I was doing, having resigned I went to my

village’.

Basadaka secondment kedi nabi mugul a daka on secondment basadaka dan yawi kurku warknaun watuek ma wadi ma wadak keka resain telwun wapareb wapatuel wunake welfare yawi ‘I offered them to second me for a few years, they said no, then I resigned from my

welfare job’.

Resain tuku keka tepar ata yilwun amæy asay yin ma:k vau waku tepar yuku amæy asayik yuku tepar Abuntim daku dan tepar amæy asayik ata yarek yituaber wun atawa dan yawi kurknaun waku

‘Having resigned, I went to the village, I was going to tell my mother and father myself,

having gone down to Ambunti and then down, I told the news to mother and father that I

am going to work down there’.

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Wuna amæy ata wukeku wari tuku ata gral waku wuna aka meya ñan abe taya wunam wapaku be ma yin ke walbab wagum tenañen ka ma alæy nema seka wagur yekekeñena a ma ñen naka meya ñen waku

‘When my mother heard this, she became worried and cried: You are my only child,

and you are already not close, now you are going to a really far away place, you are my

only real child’.

Aka be wunam wapaku yin ke walbaba wagum tenañen kal ma alay nema seka a ma o! ñen nakameya ñen

‘You are already not close, now you are going to a really far away place, you are my

only real child’.

Ata ma ata samasam wukel wori tal wukeku gral

‘She worried a lot, and cried’

Wuna amæy ata ma wuketukwa ata watuel semi te ma yabib yaknaun ñenak pas ñig rait teda tekeknaun ata watuel ma

‘My mother again, don’t worry, I said, it is not far away, I will be writing to you all the

time, I said again’

Ke rediowam ma:j blatukeb ata wunakudi wukeda wukekeñena ata watuel

‘When I am talking on the radio, you will be hearing my voice’

Au ber Tubeki wuken ata kwayikwaber

‘The two of them, my mother and Roslyn, were together’

Roslyn wuken ber ata kwayikwaber dey amæy asay ka:p ata kwayikwadi

‘My father and mother stayed together with Roslyn by themselves’

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Ñan Apikweñ Yuakaluwa wun ñan betay awt tediyan ñan be yediyan wagwar sukulwa yawi:k

‘We, Joe, Joel and me, we already went out, to school and to work’.

Apekuñawa wun an betay yawi kurbran Yuakalu Joel ade universitim redel a University of Technology, Leiim ber a las meri abagañ ta:kwawa Tubekiwa ber amæy asay kap ata kwadi kwayikwadi

‘Joe and I were working already, Joel was at the University of Technology in Lei, the

last daughter, Roslyn, father and mother were with Roslyn by themselves’.

Tepam ata watay kwadi

‘This is how they stayed in the village’

Yakia ata dalwun ya amæy asay wa vakin wik nak tuku væran væraku Wewakam balus mi: val kurku yan Mosbi Mosbi:m wunak ata dan yawi kurtukek wadadi pepa ata semakadadi riditukek vetukek

‘Having stayed with mother and father for a week I went down, went across to Wewak,

on a plane, then I went to Moresby, there they showed me the contract (papers talking

about the work)’.

Wunak ata dan adi yawi kurtuadi pepa contract semadak ata vetuadi

‘After I went down to Moresby, they showed me the contract and I saw it’

Ñus tani yawi nak kurtel al a interview tetuel seker taim a ñus tani yawi nak aka naka aw inglisar kwatiyadak a wun tok pisina tanituel say one paragraph, kudi ma:j mugwel OK aw nak ma tok pisinar kwatiyadak aw inglisar tanituel another paragraph atabek ma nukedi kudi ma:j mugwel

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‘When I was doing my interview, they gave me translating job, say, a paragraph from

Tok Pisin into English, and then the other way round again’.

Atawa tanituek vedal akabe repem nal way wun ma: la:kw keka naka ata wadi yakia waku yan Mosbi:m kamapeku Mosbim yaku ya:kia wunadi pasport visa mowi ata vyakanaku napadak ata dalwun datuel abaka wun kap dalwun

‘When they saw how I translated they thought it was fine, I don’t know, thus they said

OK to me, I went to Moresby, having come to Moresby, OK, they looked after my

passport and visa and so on, after that I went down (to Australia). Time I went down, I

went by myself’.

Aw Australiar datuel a tayir al wun sukelem vetuel seker al 1970 aw geñer tripetuel akatawa dalwun Australiar sukulem reku wunake gabemajawa daaaaan yin Hobart Tasmaniam alem holiday telwun

‘I went to Australia before, when I was at school, around 1970 or so, with a school

teacher, I went down and had a holiday in Hobart, Tasmania’.

Alem Hobart alek tuku waren Launceston Devenport Oliverston adiya alem ata holiday telwun alem holiday teku Canberrar ab waren Sydneyam waren al tasol a yigen keteka meyir ma au geñer daku Canberra vetua aka be Wau! nema apau tepa

‘Then from Hobart, having gone up, I had a holiday in Launceston, Devenport,

Oliverston, these places, spending holidays there I went up to Canberra, I went up to

Sydney, it was like a dream, not real, then later, having come down to Canberra I said:

Wau! What a big city!’

Au ade nabi adatuel ma Canberra kwasa countrytown tep ketek tal Canberra vetuel au yigen ketek vetuel aka au Canberra ata ata rena watay wadak kekeb aka Parliament house wa Fountainad tenad a aram aka lakutuada watay atawa yikwalwun akatawa vetuel au geñer daku veku vetuel ku! Canberra keka nema apau nemade fountain kedeka vetuadi

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fountain ade Parliament house kedeka olpela Parliament house waku ata walwun al akanaka Canberra Canberra lekel akanaka

‘That year when I went down, it was not like that, Canberra was like a little

countrytown, I saw it, it was like a dream, I saw Canberra, all I knew was the Parliament

house and the Fountain, on the lake, and this is how I saw it, and later, when I came

down and saw, I said: Ku! Canberra is so big, and the fountain, the fountain and the

Parliament house which I had seen was the old Parliament house, so this is what I said

about Canberra’.

Datuel aka dan yakia dan Radio Australia contract kwatiyadak tri years, nabi mugwel contract ata sain tetuadi adi nabi mugwel be dan tan yawi kurku yawi kurku alem tetuel tuku holiday akata wunakel a France a kel takwañan le French Service of Radio Australia alem yawi kuryikwal ta:kw

‘I went down, they gave me a contract for three years at Radio Australia, I was working

there, then I went away for a holiday with a girl from France who worked for Radio

Australia French service.’

Leke se Pascale Wagner lekewa an nawinawi ta:kw yitel lekede tepam yin France tuku yitel yin India Bombay tamiya tami: adadi kwasabi bekpek kukem ada kekeb yakia kwasadi wapwideka kusutay yakia atawa waterbottle kegu botelam tedakekeb yatatay karim wokabaut Salvation Army deyadi Hostelam sekwayikwabran yeeeen tamiyam tami: yi:n veku ma ata yibran Australiar yaku geñer ata warbran wuna tepar a Francar yitel aka naka leke amay lekedi gwalugwu du ta:kw akatawa wanapaku yiiin tamiyatami: South of France vakin Britany wadana tep wan yitel yeku Greece wadanad tepam alem yin kwaku Australia keber takwadedi viti New Zealand kel nak nakamib yakia val nak Roskat jaba kar nak yabibal yapiku yakia Greece tamiya:r tami: ata yidiyan

‘Her name was Pascale Wagner, we went together to her place in France, to India,

Bombay, from one place to another, with backpacks on our backs, with only shorts on,

with water bottles to drink, we slept in Salvation Army places and went on, from one

place to another, then we went back to Australia, then to my village, then to see her

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mother and relatives in the South of France, we went across to Brittany, then to Greece,

we met up with two women from Australia, and one from new Zealand, and we bought

an old car, and so we went across Greece, from one place to another’.

Val nak yapiku adi taim ata roni yidiyan wanpela olpela car ata yapibal yapiku arel ata yidiyan

‘Then we bought a car, and went around in it’

Wakubal adi Greek island nakamyib holiday tan raun tan a vyakat adi vyakat seker adi

‘Having come out, we went to Greek islands, we were on holiday going round, these

were good times’

Tuku al aka naka aw ma krel abaka akatawa wun teparab atawa warebran

‘Then we also went to my village’

Akatawa al aka yin adi nabi kusedak nekedi contract ma sainiku nabi nak tetuek amæy ata sikak ata bagarapel sikak ata vækren kwal wuna amæy nabi ali Melbournam tetuek amæy ata sikak vækren kwal keka naka ring tuku wadi o! amæy aka seka aka numa seka kamapaku aka kiyak kusekuseb kwanapaku ata wadak keka warelwun tepar waren ameyim veku sori tuku yakia

‘So it was, I stayed there, after these years finished I signed another contract again, after

I stayed there for one year, my mother fell ill, my mother, after I had stayed in

Melbourne for four years, they told me on the phone, o! mother is very sick, she was

about to die, after they said this, I went up to the village, saw my mother, and was upset.

OK’

Keka sebenen Melbournam dadak ma: walwun alek tuku wunake contract keka naka sain tetuelek keka aw yapituel a contract yapilwun a contract breach of contract wadana law al bruki tuku yapituel yapilwun

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‘After having gone down to Melbourne, I broke off my contract, so I had to pay out,

there is a law called ‘breach of contract’, this is why I had to pay out’.

Yapiku yakia keka sebenen warlwun warku alem tuku yakia keka naka kediya Post Korea atawa newspaper yawi kurlwun a radioam Australia radio announcer atawa yawi kurlwun adi ma:j radio studioam radioim maj blatudi adi blatudi Vanuatu South Pacific North Queensland Irian Jaya adi tami maj blatukeb adi tamiya kedi du ta:kw ata watay ata wuna wukeyikwadalwun wuna blakudi radiowa

‘Having paid off, I went up, then I worked in Post Korea, as a radio announcer in radio

Australia, for Vanuatu, South Pacific, North Queensland, Irian Jaya, all the people there

heard my talk’.

Ke neke gan aka akes wukemarkwatua kekanaka du nak adæy County of Somerseth Endland wadanade tepam alem ata 8 o’clock ga:n alem ringtuku tad ringtuku atawa wad

‘Another night I will never forget. A man from County of Somerseth in England rang

up around 8 o’clock at night, and said like this’.

A gan ran næytuel music vyakata mey ad Slim Dusty dekede ba:gwad næytued

‘That night I was playing very good music, Slim Dusty’s music’

Næytuek de wukeded alem wukeku keda ring tad

‘He heard me play and this is why he rang up’

Ring tuku wad au de Australia Slim Dusty ba:gw laik takakwanad ring tuku ata wad mi: majar oh! wun County of Somerseth alem tan yawi kurnadewun yawi tan kurku ring tenadewun waku ata wad

‘Having rung up, he said he liked Australian music by Slim Dusty, and this is what he

said on the phone. Oh, I am in the County of Somerseth, I work, and after work I am

calling, he said’.

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Ah! County of Somerseth Telefomin ata walwun al ake tamiya? watuek ata wad ka England wad wun bilip ma te

‘Ah, I said on the phone, County of Somerseth, where is it? He said, here in England, I

could not believe it’

Ñana kudi ya aka wuketua waku ata wadek Hi? atawa walwun al akanaka al ‘I understood our language, so I just said Hi?, this is how it was’

Aka naka (neke seker aka) nak aka al University of Toronto nak aka naka wuna admin Collegim social development sukulkwide lanide gabe maj David MacDonnell deke takwawa Nola ber University of Toronto alem sukul reber

‘There was another time, from University of Toronto, my lecturer from admin college,

David MacDonnell and his wife, Nola, they were both studying at the University of

Toronto’.

Alem sukul reku 2 o’clock ganebagan ber patim tuku sebenen wiyar waraku keka ata wiyar yiber yaku Radio Australia tanimbrel ya keka ata wukebrel ke ma:j Radio Australia PNG service your host Paulime Luma wa:n atawa wukebrel keka naka ñeg nak sukuku calendar University of Toronto City of Toronto calendar nak kuselaku a pas sukuku ata salibrel saliku wunak a pasem ata waber

‘They were studying there, and came home from a party at 2 a.m., having come back

home, they turned on Radio Australia, and so they heard, it is Radio Australia PNG

service, your host Paulime Luma, and they wrote me a letter, and put a calendar with

views of the University of Toronto and of the City of Toronto, and this is what they said

in this letter’.

“A ke ñe patim tuku yaku ñena kudiya wuketel wukeku wun ñena kudiwa ñena se wun bilip tetak hat tru tedewun” waku ata wad wunade gabe maj

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‘“After I came home from the party that day, I heard your voice, your voice and your

name, I couldn’t believe it”, this is what my old teacher said’.

Ata wunabab aka naka a pas veku ridiku it’s just incredible seinaun wunabab meya seipæy petiyakelwun alebabab akes wukemarketua

‘When I saw this letter and read it, I was lost for words, too, so I will never forget this’.

Adi seker adiya akatawa sadesad akatawa tay kamapedi

‘This is how it was, what happened those days’

Wunam atawa tarawiyikwadi adi seker yawi kurtukeb atawa tarawi yikwadi sa:d adiya watuadi

‘This is what used to happen when I was working’

Alem tuku sebenen wartuel

‘So having returned I went up’

Warku keka naka Post Koream atawa wik mugul o ali samting atawa yawi kurlwun or four something'

‘After I came (up to Moresby) I worked in Post Korea for three or four weeks’

Yawi kurku yakia wunadi ñanugw deyade asayab ata stakratued

‘Then I met the father of my children’

De captain rak tedela very young captain tad naubadi captain lieutenant tuku promotidak yariar captain tedek

‘He was in captain’s rank, a very young captain, brand new (promoted)’.

A sekereb keda warku stakratud stakraku atawa bap abun ata engaged tebran atawa maj pasim bran akatawa marit tekeketa waku maj pasimbran engaged tuku ade nekedi nabi bap tabati

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mæn viti walek ata november ata nema military wedding ata tebran Murray Barracks Mosbim al aka alem

‘I met him, and a month later we were engaged, and twelve months later we got

married, we had a big military wedding in November, in Murray Barracks, in Moresby’

Tuku keka naka yuku wik mugul o ali walek aber paterek Father Kevin na Father Mihalic ata yilwun yin brekek vetuek kamapetuek wunam veku ata waber

‘After three or four weeks I went to the two fathers, Father Kevin and Father Mihalic,

and saw them, they saw me and said like this’

Mey mey waku yuku kamapeku kekanaka Wantok newspepam ata ya yawi kurlwun sebenen yin yawi kurlwun

‘Come, come, so I went to work in Wantok newspaper’

A watay Father Kevin kwatiyadel pas ñig yawi kurtukek alebab ata yi:n semakaku ata walwun

‘Having shown them the letter written by Father Kevin, I said like this’

Wun kekanaka sebenen yatua aka waku watuek keda ata wad

‘I have come to work (here), and after I said this, (the man in charge) said’

A yakia meya! yan yawi akwur ya! wadeke yakia word publishing adi nabi ata tan alem yawi kurelwun

‘Come and work, and so I worked there on word publishing’.

Yawi kuren yin yin yiiin yin 1987 alem yawi kurtuel o! tamiya tami yilwun

‘There I worked until 1987, I went everywhere’

Tamiya tami travel telwun South Korea Japan Fiji planti kantri atawa journalist deyadi yawik exchange yawi assignment Fiji

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military coup tel alem wakun yawi kuren adi company yæy atawa deya kedi ecumenical nakamiba lotu yawi ata kurelwun

‘I was travelling everywhere, South Korea, Fiji, Japan, lots of countries, for journalist’s

work, exchange, assignment, I was there during the Fiji military coup, as a company

representative, ecumenical work’, this is the sort of work I did’.

Mendia watch deyakedi kain wadanadi atawa organization yawi ata ata wan ab adiya atawa yawi ata alem tuku keka naka ya Robin Reporter tetak ya keka ya les telwun sep jinel sep jinelwun hurrying around scooping news atawa walking down numadi du ta:kw deyadi yawi kurdanadi tami yin yan tetak atawa corridors of power les yilwun akatawa yawi kurku les yilwun

‘Mendia watch, that kind of organization work, these kinds of jobs, Robin Reporter

kind, so I got tired, tired, hurrying around scooping news, walking the corridors of

power, I got tired of this job’.

Sepadaka ma jen au kedi kwasadi ñanugw Demiyawi ata kamaped Kelvin Cashmira ata kamapebrek keka naka yawi kwasa isi kurku aw wun keber kwasaber ñendiyek waku a kwasaber ñendiwa family waku kekanaka kedi nekedi ofisam riyawik ata stakraku kedi public relation yawi yin Elcomam yawi kuren (PNG Electricity Commission) atawa public relations publications officer yawi Department of Home affairs geñer yin PEA public employees association alem Elcomab tuku nabi naki samting ruku kedi PEA wuken deyakedi magazines publications mowi yawi atawa yawi ata kurelwun

‘Not that I got tired, my children were born, Kelvin, Cashmira, so I had to find an easier

job, to be with two small children, an office job, I worked as public relations officer, I

worked in Elcom, as public relations, publications officer, then in the Department of

Home affairs, in Public employees association, I stayed there for a year after Elcom, I

worked for their magazines, publications and things, this is the sort of work I did’.

Keka dan keka kelem James sukul reker dadek keka ñan ñanugw amæy dan nakamib keka kelem Canberram

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‘Then James started his studies, and we came down to Canberra’

Ñenawa keka kelem ke Manab tepa kudi ma:j yawi ab aka kurta wunabab kekanaka University of Canberra sukul renaun

‘Here we study the Manambu language, and I, too, am studying at the University of

Canberra’

Kelem reku yakia nabi nabi yin kusedak tuku wun kekanaka ya University sukul retua aka naka ya em nau yakia Sas adiya wayatuadi ya kuselal aka

‘After all these years here I am, studying at the University, Ok, Sas, my talk is finished’.